§ 55. Mr. Budgenasked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many people are awaiting admission into National Health Service hospitals at the latest available date.
§ Mr. Grocottasked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many people are awaiting admission to National Health Service hospitals at the latest available date.
§ Mr. EnnalsAt 30th September 1977 the provisional figure for all specialties in England was 591,000, of which 40,000 were classified as urgent cases and 551,000 as non-urgent cases.
538WTotal numbers of people awaiting admission to hospitals have fluctuated around 500,000 practically since the inception of the NHS. During 1975 there was a marked increase, and in 1976 the total, although growing much more slowly, increased to a new peak of about 607,000 in December 1976. Early in 1977 they fell back again, and have remained at or below 595,000 for the three successive quarters of that year for which figures are available.
The number of urgent cases has fluctuated between 37,000 and 40,000 since they were first recorded in September 1975, and the latest provisional figure is 40,000. This is disappointing; the number of urgent cases dropped in mid-1976 but, unfortunately, the improvement was not sustained.
I am very concerned about these figures. Although there has been a steady, if modest, increase in resources available to the NHS, much of this has had to be devoted to other aspects of the service to which the Government attach high priority, such as the services for the mentally ill, the elderly and the handicapped, including care in the community. In response to a circular from my Department in 1975 commending good practices and asking health authorities to review the management of their waiting lists, a number of useful steps are being taken or considered locally. These included centralising and streamlining of admissions procedures, greater flexibility in use of hospital beds, use of day surgery and five-day wards for minor operations and day facilities for investigations, regular dissemination of waiting list information to general practitioners.
In addition, health authorities have included in their capital programmes for the current year projects designed to assist in reducing waiting lists to a total value of some £9½ million, to be financed from within their cash limits. Reports from authorities and discussions I have had with RHA chairmen show that health authorities are doing a great deal to tackle what has proved for successive Administrations an intractable problem. I intend to pursue vigorously our joint efforts to improve the situation.
§ Mr. Ridsdaleasked the Secretary of State for Social Services (1) what steps he is taking to deal with the growing 539W waiting lists for hospital treatment in North-East Essex;
(2) what is the present average time for those on waiting lists in hospitals in North-East Essex; and how this compares with one year and four years ago;
(3) what are the present numbers on waiting lists for hospitals in North-East Essex; and how this compares with one year and four years ago.
§ Mr. MoyleInformation on average waiting times is not readily available. In-patient waiting lists in the Colchester district were:
31st December 1977 3,147 31st December 1976 2,961 31st December 1973 2,096 The responsible health authorities plan to increase the resources available to the Essex Area Health Authority and to make more effective use of hospital facilities; and in the longer term to provide new facilities at Colchester and Clacton.